The Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau ( CGMPB ; French : Bureau de cinématographie du gouvernement canadien ), founded as the Exhibits and Publicity Bureau , was the film production agency of the Government of Canada administered by the Department of Trade and Commerce, and intended to promote trade and industry. Created in 1918, it was the first government film production organization in the world.
74-559: Canada Vignettes are a series of short films by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), some of which aired on CBC Television and other Canadian broadcasters as interstitial programs . The vignettes became popular because of their cultural depiction of Canada, and because they represented its changing state, such as the vignette Faces which was made to represent the increasing cultural and ethnic diversity of Canada. The Log Driver's Waltz directed by John Weldon set to
148-622: A $ 1 million cut, as part of a government attempt to save $ 1 billion. The Public Service Staff Relations Board ruled in 1977 that 99% of the freelance workers at the NFB were employees and the board of governors later recommended the firing of sixty-five people. Federal budget cuts caused Roberts to plan for the NFB's budget to decrease by 10% between 1979 and 1981. Lamy left the NFB and the board of Governors selected James de Beaujeu Domville , who served as deputy film commissioner for seven years, after four months. Domville selected François N. Macerola ,
222-461: A $ 1.3 million budget for a women's department, but it was rejected by the Treasury. Verrall gave Shannon permission to organize Studio D , the first publicly funded feminist film-production unit in the world, in 1974. However, there would be no French version of Studio D until the formation of Studio B in 1986. Studio D produced 125 films before its closure in 1996. In 1970, Pelletier called for
296-453: A cost of $ 5.25 million and served as the NFB's headquarters until 2019. In September 1954, Quebec censors demanded that the NFB pay a censorship fee of $ 20,500 per year and Trueman wanted to accept it in order to avoid controversy. However, a compromise was reached where the Quebec censors were given one print of each film and if they censored it then all versions would be also censored while
370-744: A decade of its creation. Grierson lacked strong support in the Canadian government and some of his films received opposition from members of the government. Inside Fighting Russia was criticized for its support of the Russian Revolution and Balkan Powderkeg for criticizing the United Kingdom's policy in the Balkans. Grierson and the NFB were attacked during the onset of the Cold War . The Federal Bureau of Investigation created
444-756: A file on Grierson in 1942, due to the World in Action newsreel being considered too left-wing. Leo Dolan, an ally of Hepburn and the head of the Canadian Government Travel Bureau, accused Grierson of being Jewish and a Co-operative Commonwealth Federation supporter. The Gouzenko Affair implicated Freda Linton, one of Grierson's secretaries, and the organization was criticized by the Progressive Conservative Party for subversive tendencies, financial waste, and being
518-400: A government monopoly, with the NFB's crown corporation request being referred to as an "expansionist, monopolistic psychology", and that they were unable to compete with the NFB as it paid no taxes and was exempt from tariffs. The commission's report supported the NFB and its requests for Crown corporation status and a headquarters were accepted. In 1950, Irwin wrote to Robert Winters about
592-564: A monkey on the back of English production". Encyclopædia Britannica reportedly offered to buy the NFB for $ 100 million (equivalent to $ 392,750,000 in 2023) in 1979. During Derek Lamb 's leadership of the English language animation studio produced multiple critical acclaimed works, including the Academy Award-winning Every Child . Lamb resigned in 1982, and was replaced by Doug McDonald, whose tenure
666-602: A monopoly. Grierson was also accused of being involved, but was proven not to be. During McLean's tenure film production was divided into four units in 1948. Unit A dealt with agriculture, non-English, and interpretative films, Unit B dealt with sponsored, scientific, cultural, and animated films, Unit C dealt with theatrical, newsreels, tourist, and travel films, and Unit D dealt with international affairs and special projects. This system continued until its abolition on 28 February 1964 when it had seven units, five English-language and two French-language. In 1947, Grant McLean ,
740-470: A national policy, it was falling behind Associated Screen News of Canada , technologically and in terms of distribution. Underfunding and mismanagement made it difficult to invest in the arrival of sound film , and the Bureau continued to produce silent films until 1934. By this time, government ministries began producing their own promotional films, usually using outside contractors rather than relying on
814-416: A position and instead sent the information to Harris. St. Laurent was angered by this and asked Winters if Trueman was attempting to sabotage the relocation and Trueman told Winters that he was just giving Harris information about the situation. The Conservatives criticized the rising cost of the headquarters' construction and attempted to block it, but failed. The building was constructed from 1953 to 1956, at
SECTION 10
#1732794019796888-567: A report on restructuring the NFB and Winters told Irwin to rewrite the 1939 Film Act as it was outdated by then. The National Film Act was passed in June, and took effect on 14 October. A Canadian tour by Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip was filmed using 35 mm Eastman colour-film stock, which was not available to the public yet. The film was initially meant to be two reels, worth twenty minutes, but grew to five reels as they could not determine what to cut. Irwin met with Harvey Harnick,
962-740: A report to the 19th Canadian Ministry for the creation of a loan fund to aid the development of the Canadian film industry. The proposal was approved in October 1965, and legislation, the Canadian Film Development Corporation Act of 1966-67, for its creation was introduced in June 1966, before being approved on 3 March 1967, establishing the Canadian Film Development Corporation . Denys Arcand , Gilles Carle , Jacques Godbout , Gilles Groulx , and Clément Perron criticized
1036-550: A title. The CBC's children's department subsequently informed the NFB that it could not show films longer than two minutes as their needs had changed in the time that it took to produce the series. A quarter of the vignettes were more than two minutes long. As a solution, the CBC main network agreed to make the longer and shorter films available to their network affiliates . Canada Vignettes were shown on both in prime time and during children's programming slots. The most popular film in
1110-511: Is an international business, dependent when it comes to distribution on an alliance or understanding with American film interests". He travelled to Hollywood in 1944, and the NFB sent scripts to American companies for consideration. Norman McLaren founded the NFB's animation unit in 1942, and had George Dunning , René Jodoin , Wolf Koenig , Jean-Paul Ladouceur , Evelyn Lambart , Colin Low , Grant Munro , and Robert Verrall working there within
1184-595: The First World War , written, directed, and edited by Frank Badgley, the director of the Bureau from 1927 to 1941; and The Royal Visit (1939), also co-written and edited by Badgley, which documented the 1939 royal tour of Canada by King George VI and his consort, Queen Elizabeth . The CGMPB was created in September 1918 by an order in council as the Exhibits and Publicity Bureau. Its first success
1258-585: The Minister of Communications , then led by David MacDonald . MacDonald supported giving 80% of the sponsored work to private companies and that the NFB only make films that the private companies could not. Domville offered a three-year phase out of NFB doing sponsored work during a meeting with representatives of the Canadian Film and Television Association and Association des Producteurrs de Films du Quebec in 1979. He stated that "sponsored film had become
1332-595: The National Film Act (1939), written by Grierson himself, and the creation of the National Film Commission (later the National Film Board of Canada , or NFB), which Grierson modeled after Associated Screen News. Production and distribution of national films would be taken care of by this new organization, which coordinated the cinematographic activities of all the ministries; the CGMPB, on
1406-559: The Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage . It has bilingual production programs and branches in English and French, including multicultural-related documentaries. The Exhibits and Publicity Bureau was founded on 19 September 1918, and was reorganized into the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau in 1923. The organization's budget stagnated and declined during
1480-549: The University of New Brunswick and a member of the board of governors of the NFB and CBC, was selected by Winters to replace Irwin. A reshuffling of the cabinet had Walter Edward Harris become the new minister responsible for the NFB. Since the foundation of the NFB its offices were divided across multiple locations in Ottawa and plans created during World War II to construct a single headquarters were not acted upon. Montreal
1554-524: The 1980s. The first usage of videotape by the NFB occurred in 1967, when Claude Jutra and Robert Forget used it for research with children. Newman, a former NFB director who spent the previous twelve years working on television shows in the United Kingdom, was selected to replaced McPherson as commissioner in 1970, and he selected André Lamy as his assistant commissioner. Faulkner opposed Newman and worked to have Newman not reappointed in July 1975, and he
SECTION 20
#17327940197961628-465: The Arts, Letters and Sciences , with Massey as its chair, was formed in 1949. The NFB submitted a brief asking to have a headquarters constructed, budget increases, and to become a Crown corporation . Robert Winters , whose ministry oversaw the NFB, stated that its brief did not represent government policy. The Association of Motion Picture Producers and Laboratories of Canada submitted a brief criticizing
1702-421: The CBC approached the NFB about producing short films, five minutes in length or less, to use as interstitial programming. When Secretary of State for Canada John Roberts announced in the fall of 1977 that $ 13 million would be given to federal cultural agencies to help promote national unity, the NFB was allocated $ 2 million to produce films for broadcast on the CBC, similar to CBS 's Bicentennial Minutes in
1776-425: The CBC. Roberge created the positions of Assistant Government Film Commissioner, held by Grant McLean and Roland Ladouceur, Director of Production for English, held by Julian Biggs , and French, held by Marcel Martin, productions. Roberge resigned as commissioner on 1 April 1966, and declined to be involved with the selection of his successor. Grant was appointed as the acting commissioner by Judy LaMarsh . LaMarsh
1850-661: The CGMPB. Most Canadian films during this decade were produced by the CGMPB or Associated Screen News, which was funded by the Canadian Pacific Railway and highly profitable in its own right. As such, concerns began to arise over the domination of American films in Canadian theatres. In February 1936, a report written by Ross McLean , secretary of Vincent Massey , the Canadian High Commissioner in London , recommended an in-depth study of
1924-666: The Global Film Policy with the Capital Cost Allowance in which investors could get a 100% tax deduction. Faulkner proposed to shift the responsibility of sponsored films to the Department of Supply and Services and only give the NFB 30% of the work. However, he was replaced by John Roberts during a shuffling of the cabinet in September 1976. Roberts believed that the CCA resolved the funding problems for
1998-474: The Great Depression. Frank Badgley, who served as the bureau's director from 1927 to 1941, stated that the bureau needed to transition to sound films or else it would lose its access to theatrical releases, but the organization did not gain the equipment until 1934, and by then it had lost its theatrical distributors. Badgley was able to get a 16 mm film facility for the bureau in 1931. The bureau
2072-589: The Massey report, was selected instead as the first French-Canadian commissioner. Le Devoir supported his selection and the French media ended its criticism of the NFB. Ellen Fairclough , who became the minister responsible for the NFB in May 1958, was not interested with the organization and never saw a film created by the NFB. She declined to interfere in NFB matters despite criticism from Pickersgill, who believed that
2146-465: The Minister of Trade and Commerce, was "advertising abroad Canada's scenic attractions, agricultural resources and industrial development," and much of its production was devoted to producing travelogues and industrial films . It also produced early Canadian documentaries such as Lest We Forget (1935), a compilation film (using newsreel footage with staged sequences) recounting Canada's role in
2220-658: The NFB and its productions in articles written for the Cité Libre . Juneau stated that the articles were a watershed moment in the NFB's history. The men were reprimanded by Roberge. Many employees left the NFB following the reprimands including Michel Brault , Carle, Bernard Gosselin , Groulx, and Arthur Lamothe . Juneau left the NFB in March 1966, and worked at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission before becoming president of
2294-617: The NFB were made to air on television by 1955. In 1956, the CBC's exclusion grew to them making Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans with the expressed prohibition of NFB involvement and rejecting a show by the NFB based on Jake and the Kid . Irwin resigned as commissioner in May 1953, and later stated that he wanted to be more involved in film production, but his time was being taken up by administrative purposes. Albert Trueman , president of
Canada Vignettes - Misplaced Pages Continue
2368-464: The NFB would pay an annual fee between $ 2,500-3,000. Pierre Juneau , who was sent to the United Kingdom by Irwin, was brought by Trueman to the NFB as an adviser and secretary in 1953. The creation of two assistant commissioners, one English and one French, with Juneau as the French assistant commissioner was proposed in November 1954, but was rejected by Jack Pickersgill , who replaced Harris, over
2442-407: The NFB's Columbia theatrical distributor, and J.J. Fitzgibbons, the president of Famous Players , and Fitzgibbons told Irwin that he would screen all five reels if the film was completed for a Christmas release. Royal Journey opened in seventeen first-run theatres and over course of the next two years it was screened in 1,249 Canadian theatres where it was watched by a record two million people and
2516-466: The NFB's demand that no commercials be played during their films and the NFB charging $ 10,000–$ 15,000 for 30 minute films while a commercial network had received it for $ 800. The CBC and NFB also co-produced The Ernie Game and Waiting for Caroline which went overbudget by $ 50,000 and $ 200,000 respectively. In 1967, the Treasury Board limited the NFB's expenditures to $ 10 million and over
2590-540: The NFB's strongest critics, died in a plane crash although Floyd Chalmers , the president of Maclean-Hunter , criticized Irwin for leaving Maclean's . Film production was centralized under Irwin by having one person oversee the four film units. He selected Donald Mulholland over James Beveridge and Mulholland was criticized for ignoring French-language film production. Unit E, dealing with sponsored work, and Unit F, dealing with French-language films, were created in 1951. The Royal Commission on National Development in
2664-478: The NFB. Pelletier approved the NFB charging $ 3–12 per day for its films, but they were later removed as being in violation of anti-inflation guidelines. Fees would be instituted in 1988. The Treasury had granted $ 1 million, $ 250,000 less than what was requested, in August to cover NFB's salary increases, but McPherson was not informed as ministers hoped he would institute larger budget cuts. An additional $ 500,000
2738-636: The Sheppard Report. However, the Treasury Board of Canada had rejected efforts to fund its creation. Grierson was invited by Grant to report on the possibility of creating a film school. Grierson supported creating a school, if the External Affairs Ministry recommended that production be reduced to free up creative teachers. The CBC terminated its contracts with the NFB in 1966. The CBC and NFB's relations soured due to
2812-453: The Treasury he waited for the perfect time to resign. In 1969, an agreement was reached between the CBC and NFB in which the CBC would be allowed to air commercials during NFB programs. Revenue from sponsored films declined from $ 2.2 million to $ 1.6 million by August 1969. McPherson announced that 10% of the employees would be laid off by 1 January 1970. The employees formed a Crisis Committee under John Howe's leadership and film production
2886-575: The United Kingdom. National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada ( NFB ; French : Office national du film du Canada, ONF ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada , the NFB produces and distributes documentary films , animation , web documentaries , and alternative dramas. In total, the NFB has produced over 13,000 productions since its inception, which have won over 5,000 awards. The NFB reports to
2960-492: The United States, the previous year. The French-language service of the CBC also agreed to broadcast the series. Eighty filmmakers from across the country worked on the project over a three-year period. Many of the films were animation vignettes offering amusing portrayals of Canadian history , while others were produced from excerpts of NFB documentaries. The NFB decided that no film credits would be included, only
3034-445: The course of the next three years. André Laurendeau criticized the NFB for not creating a French-language side. In February 1957, Pickersgill allowed for Juneau to become the executive director and be in charge of financial administration and distribution. This was criticized by Montréal-Matin , Le Devoir , L'Action catholique , and other French-language media and Juneau was criticized for demoting Roger Blais , who claimed it
Canada Vignettes - Misplaced Pages Continue
3108-549: The course of two years it was forced to pay for built-in higher salary costs and another salary increase due to an agreement with the SGCT union using existing funds. McPherson asked Pelletier to allow the NFB to spend over $ 500,000 more than its budget in order to avoiding firing 10% of the NFB's employees, and later asked the Cabinet and Treasury for more funding, but was unsuccessful. McPherson later stated that after his failure with
3182-557: The cousin of the NFB commissioner, shot The People Between and the Secretary of State for External Affairs 's department stated that some parts of the film were too favorable towards the Chinese Communist Party . Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis had NFB films removed from schools using accusations of communism. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police discovered that an employee for the NFB's Production Division, who
3256-512: The creation of a Canadian Film Commission, made up of private and governmental interests, but it was opposed by the NFB, CBC, CFDC, and Library and Archives Canada . However, they did agree to form the Advisory Committee on Film as an ad hoc committee. Pelletier later proposed the Global Film Policy in which the NFB would regionalize and share sponsored productions with the private sector. Pelletier's successor, Hugh Faulkner , replaced
3330-495: The director of French production, as his deputy commissioner. Domville offered to continue on as commissioner for another term after 1984, and his demands were accepted by the board of governors, but chose to leave after Francis Fox declined to accept or deny his renewal. After the 1979 election Prime Minister Joe Clark changed the ministry responsible for the NFB from the Secretary of State, which managed it since 1963, to
3404-519: The elimination of the government's role in producing and distributing cultural products and to instead give it to the private industry. They believed that the private industry could create an export market to compete with the United States. Fox later decided to allow the NFB continue producing content, but ended their involvement in sponsored content, along with their executive production of sponsored work given to private companies. Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau Its purpose, according to
3478-519: The film was also screened in forty other countries. The film cost $ 88,000, but the NFB gained a profit of $ 150,000 and the film's success was one of the reasons Grierson stated that Irwin "saved the Film Board". The NFB created its first television series, Window on Canada and On the Spot , with the CBC in 1953. However, the CBC opposed increasing the amount of NFB productions as they believed it
3552-507: The footage was turned into Reaction: A Portrait of a Society in Crisis and Action: The October Crisis of 1970 with some elements censored by Newman. French films banned under Newman's tenure were later released during Lamy's tenure. Kathleen Shannon attempted to have a division created to focus on films made by and about women due to the coming International Women's Year . Newman and Robert Verrall supported Shannon's attempt to get
3626-401: The government's production of promotional films and suggested the name of acclaimed British documentary filmmaker John Grierson . In 1938, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King heeded the report, agreeing that Canadian cinema deserves an increased presence in Canadian theatres; he commissioned Grierson thereafter to review the situation and make recommendations. This became the basis of
3700-727: The largest and best equipped film studio in Canada and distributed its films throughout Canada and the Commonwealth , as well as in France , Belgium , the Netherlands , Argentina , Chile , Japan , China , and the United States . At its peak in 1927, it had over one thousand prints circulating in the United States alone. Into the 1930s, the Bureau began to see a decline, as its films were bland and of poor quality; it lacked
3774-421: The minister was responsible for whatever went on at the NFB. Upon his arrival at the NFB in 1953, Juneau saw the difficulties of communication between French and English speakers and supported creating separate English and French production units. Additional units for French-language film production were created in 1958. A French-language branch of the NFB that was independent of its English-language productions
SECTION 50
#17327940197963848-408: The private industry, accepted Lamy's recommendations for interactions with private companies, and declined to have the Department of Supply and Services manage sponsored films. However, 70% of the sponsored work were given to private companies by the end of Lamy's tenure. A $ 500,000 budget cut and 2.5% decrease in salaries over two years were implemented in 1975, after initially being threatened with
3922-974: The productions. Grierson sent in a letter of resignation on 27 November 1940, in protest of the CGMPB and NFB not being merged, but agreed to stay on for another six months and the merger happened. Employment rose from 55 to 787 from 1941 to 1945, although it was cut by 40% after the war ended. The Case of Charlie Gordon was the NFB's first English-language film and Un du 22e was its first French-language film. In 1944, Grierson established twelve units to handle production; The World in Action and Canada Carries On , Industrial Relations, Health and Rehabilitation, Newsreel and Armed Forces, Animation, Dominion-Provincial, Travel and Outdoors, Armed Services, Foreign Language Programme, French Language Programme, Agriculture, and Education. Employees were contracted for three months as Grierson believed that job security hurt organizational creativity, but most employees worked longer than three months. Grierson made efforts to increase
3996-541: The recording of the song by Kate & Anna McGarrigle with, and as part of, The Mountain City Four is one of the most-requested items contained in the collection by the National Film Board of Canada . A similar series was later produced in the 1990s, however the name was changed to Heritage Minutes . The idea for Canada Vignettes began in early 1977, when CBC's children's programming department at
4070-498: The secretary of state and representatives of the Treasury before being voted on in parliament, but it was changed to having members of the Standing Committee on Broadcasting, Films and Assistance to the Arts question the commissioner and Grant was the first commissioner to go through it. There had been multiple attempts by the NFB to create a film school and the idea received support from the External Affairs Ministry and
4144-420: The series to air on Canadian television was Canada Vignettes: Faces , an animated short that depicted the faces of Canada, including that of then Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau . Other Canadian television networks to broadcast the films included CTV , Global , TVOntario , and TVA . The series was also sold to international foreign broadcasters in such countries as Turkey , Italy, Algeria , Norway and
4218-562: The studio system in 1971. In 1962, Roberge proposed the creation of an organization to aid in film finance based on the National Film Finance Corporation and Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée . The Interdepartmental Committee on the Possible Development of a Feature Film Industry in Canada, under Roberge's leadership, was formed by the secretary of state. The committee submitted
4292-724: The theatrical distribution of NFB films, primarily its war-related films, as he was coordinating wartime information for the United Kingdom in North America. Famous Players aided in distribution and the Canadian Motion Picture War Services Committee, which worked with the War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry , was founded in 1940. NFB productions such as The World in Action
4366-420: Was a bi-weekly series of short informational films called Living Canada , which began production in 1919 and was distributed theatrically throughout Canada and abroad. By 1920, the Bureau maintained the largest studio and post-production facility in Canada. On 1 April 1923, it was renamed the Canadian Government Motion Picture Bureau. The Bureau was in its prime during the period of 1920 to 1931, when it had
4440-478: Was a communist, took photos of top-secret military equipment. The Department of National Defence prohibited the NFB from making films for it. Ross McLean followed the recommendations of the department and declared the NFB a vulnerable agency and the RCMP requested the firing of 36 employees. The RCMP requested him to fire a list of employees, McLean refused to fire any employees without their disloyalty being proven. He
4514-416: Was critical of the NFB. It criticized the NFB's preference for aesthetics and cultural films instead of informational films. The report called for a reduction in NFB productions and that it should eventually be entirely replaced by private production. The External Affairs Ministry criticized Sheppard stating that he was serving his own interests. Prior budgets were created by having the commissioner meet with
SECTION 60
#17327940197964588-591: Was criticized by animators such as David Fine 's statement that "Norman McLaren would be turning in his grave if he knew how the place was being run". Fox organized the Applebaum-Hébert Committee under the leadership of Louis Applebaum and Jacques Hébert in 1981. It was the first review of cultural institutions and policies since the Massey Commission. The committee released its report on 15 November 1980, in which it called for
4662-597: Was for him criticizing the salary inequality between French and English speakers. Trueman accepted the position of commissioner with the promise that he would later be given a more prestigious position. He resigned during the French media criticism to become head of the Canada Council in 1957. He suggested Gérard Pelletier as his successor, but Guy Roberge , a former Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec who had written sections of
4736-598: Was formed on 1 January 1964, under the leadership of Pierre Juneau . One-third of the NFB's budget was given to French-language productions. Drylanders , the organization's first English language feature-length fiction film, was released in 1963. In February 1964, the English-language production units were replaced by a talent pool system where producers had less power and directors had more power. The French-language production units were replaced in September 1968. The pool system lasted until its replacement by
4810-539: Was free due to lowered production following the Crisis Committee's formation. 63 layoffs were proposed and it was reduced by 17 due to union opposition. The NFB's computer animation program was suspended due to budget cuts although the NFB's French Animated Studio, founded by René Jodoin in 1966, created Peter Foldes 's Metadata in 1971, and the Hunger in 1973. The NFB returned to computer animation in
4884-434: Was hurting CBC's growth. The majority of the filmmakers in the NFB opposed moving into television. Sydney Newman and Gordon Burwash, who supported moving into television, were sent to the United States in 1948 to learn about TV production and NBC was given the right to air NBC productions in exchange. When Newman and Burwash returned they joined the CBC as the NFB was unable to move into television. Half of all productions by
4958-412: Was not reappointed as commissioner and replaced by William Arthur Irwin in 1950. Irwin reduced the demand and only three were fired. Irwin, the editor of Maclean's , was selected to replace McLean as commissioner of the NFB. The Financial Post , one of the NFB's leading critics and the sister publication of Maclean's , stopped its criticism following Irwin's selection and Kenneth Wilson, one of
5032-408: Was passed on 2 May 1939 causing the creation of the NFB. The position of Film Commissioner was left vacant for months, as Ned Corbett declined the appointment, until Grierson, who proposed Badgley and Walter Turnbull for the position, accepted the position for six months in October 1939, but served until 1945. Grierson selected McLean to work as assistant commissioner and Stuart Legg to oversee
5106-485: Was reorganized into the National Film Board of Canada on 11 June 1941, following John Grierson 's recommendation. Ross McLean was working as the secretary to High Commissioner Vincent Massey when he met Grierson, and asked for Grierson to come to Canada to aide in the governmental film policy. Grierson made a report on the Canadian film industry in 1938, and the National Film Act , which he drafted,
5180-526: Was replaced by Lamy. Lamy criticized multiple French productions, such as Cotton Mill, Treadmill , 24 heures ou plus , and Un pays sans bon sens! , as being too biased or separatist and were ordered to not be released in 1970. Robin Spry was initially denied the ability to film the events of the October Crisis by the English side of the NFB, but was given permission by the French side and
5254-407: Was selected during Irwin's administration due to it bilingualism and two Canadian Broadcasting Corporation television stations being created there. Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent reached an agreement with Duplessis to allow the move. Donald Mulholland, the director of production, ended his support for the relocation to Montreal after Irwin's resignation and argued against it. Trueman did not take
5328-577: Was slow on the selection of a permanent commissioner. Grierson supported Grant's selection, but also put forward Newman. Hugo McPherson was selected to become commissioner in April 1967. Maurice Lamontagne selected Gordon Sheppard, a film producer, to review Canada's cultural policy and his report, Sheppard's Special Report on the Cultural Policy and Activities of the Government of Canada,
5402-416: Was stopped although a strike was not officially called. The committee suggested allowing government sponsors to choose between using the NFB or private companies, allowing outsiders to pay for NFB technical services, creating a unit system where 5-15 people would work together, and creating fees for distribution. McPherson supported the idea of distribution fees and thought that it was the only viable option for
5476-474: Was watched by 30-40 million people per month in the United Kingdom and United States in 1943, and Canada Carries On was watched by 2.25 million people by 1944. The audience for NFB newsreels reached 40-50 million per week by 1944. Grierson opposed feature film production as he believed that Canada did not have a large enough market for an independent feature film industry. He supported working with American film companies and stated that "the theatre film business
#795204